RICE PILAF

Rice pilaf is one of the most cooked dish in Turkey. Although it is consumed a lot we do not have out of the box ready pilafs sold in the stores. Making pilaf is considered very easy but still tricky. It is said cooking good pilaf is a sign of being good cook. It shouldn't be mushy or undercooked. The rice grains should not stick together in other words they should be able to fall from the spoon. I always found making pilaf as the easiest thing to do and I never measure the water amount. But there is a ratio of 1 to 1,5-2. It means if you use 1 cup of rice you should use 1,5-2 cups of water. It depends how you like your pilaf or if you soaked the rice before. I usually soak the rice in hot salted water for at least 15 mins. You sacrifice from the vitamins but you get rid of the starch so you do not end up with mushy pilaf.

What do you need?

• 2 cups of medium size rice
• 3-4 cups of water (hot or cold) you can use chicken stock or beef stock
  
• salt
• 2 tbsp of butter

How do you make?

• Melt butter in a non-stick pan.
• Drain the rice really good so there is no water left.

• Add the rice to butter and cook for 3-4 mins stirring frequently until rice becomes little transparent.
• Add water and salt and cover the pan.

• Once the water is boiled reduce heat to medium.
  
• 5 mins later stir the pilaf gently make sure the ones in the bottom comes to top.
• From this point do not open the lid just shake the pan to see if rice absorbed all the water.
• Put paper towel between the lid and the pan.
• Let it rest for 10 mins.